Daylight Visualizer

VELUX Daylight Visualizer is a professional lighting simulation tool for the analysis of daylight conditions in buildings. It is intended to promote the use of daylight and to aid professionals by predicting and documenting daylight levels and appearance of a space prior to realization of the building design.

What makes Daylight Visualizer special?

The difference between Daylight Visualizer and commonly used 3D visualization programs is that it permits you to accurately simulate and quantify daylight levels in interiors, whereas 3D visualization programs only generate images, without information about the quantity and quality of light in a given space. With Daylight Visualizer you can take more informed decisions about daylight performance in your architectural design.

Calculate daylight factor levels

Daylight factor is the most commonly used performance indicator for the evaluation and specification of daylight conditions in buildings. It evaluates the amount and distribution of diffuse light in the building in relation to the amount of diffuse light available outside under cloudy sky conditions, and is expressed as a percentage. Daylight factor levels are usually determined on a plan view and at work-plane height.

Example. Comparison between the effect of a flat roof window and facade window in a simple room. The images show the amount light falling on a work plane at a height of 0.85m.

Photo-realistic and false color visualization

Visualize the appearance of daylight with photo-realistic images, and quantify the amount and distribution of daylight with false color images.

Example. Comparison between a luminance rendering (left) of the hallway on the first floor with a picture (right) from the realized project.

Daylight Visualizer is a powerful tool to develop ideas for natural light in buildings. The integrated process between design and daylight simulation has enabled us to refine the experience of daylight in the interior spaces in a way that was previously impossible

Andreas Michelsen, CCO Architects (DK)

Create or import 3D models

Use the embedded modeling tool to generate 3D models in which roof and facade windows can be freely inserted. Or simply import 3D models directly from your CAD program (Autocad, Revit, SketchUp, Archicad and more) with the following supported 3D file formats DWG, DXF, SKP and OBJ.

Example. Screenshot of an imported 3D model in Daylight Visualizer.

Validated calculation results

Daylight Visualizer can accurately predict daylight levels and appearance of a space lit with natural light, prior to realization of the building design. It passed all of the CIE 171:2006 test cases dedicated to natural lighting.

Daylight Visualizer simulates the following aspects of natural light transport with an average error lower than 1.29 %: